A UNIQUE MEETING BETWEEN THEATRE AND VISUAL ART AT THE SOFIA CITY ART GALLERY

On 24 January at 19:00, the Pleven theatre invites you to the Sofia City Art Gallery for the theatrical impression „4+1“ by Dimitar Kabakov, dedicated to the artist Yanaki Manasiev. This event is the audience’s only opportunity to meet and experience at the same time the performance „4+1“, dedicated to Yanaki Manasiev, and the works of the great Bulgarian artist.

Is there a truer artistic space for the Pleven theatre’s theatrical impression „4+1“, dedicated to Yanaki Manasiev, than the works of the artist himself, exhibited as part of the largest exhibition on the occasion of 90 years since the artist’s birth, „Yanaki Manasiev. Lonely and Apart“? The Sofia City Art Gallery’s exhibition, with over 70 paintings and 20 graphic works by Yanaki Manasiev, will become the most natural and picturesque setting for the theatrical impression „4+1“, in which four women, muses of the Artist, gather to honour his memory and his work.

The great Bulgarian artist Yanaki Manasiev (1932 – 1978) is one of the best and most underrated creators of the last century. Called "the Bulgarian Picasso and Matisse", he left behind inspiring images, the main theme of his work being woman.

„4+1“ is a dramaturgical lyrical text, written by Dimitar Kabakov, inspired by the work of Yanaki Manasiev. The director of the performance is Nadya Pancheva. In the roles of the four muses of the artist Yanaki Manasiev are Irena Nencheva, Doriana Galabova, Margarita Kostova, Marieta Kalapova. In the role of the Artist is Sergey Konstantinov.

In this unusual theatrical composition „4+1“ by Dimitar Kabakov, between documentary, visual art, poetry and artistic fiction, the fates of the four women – models of the Artist – unfold, telling of their encounters with the creator and his art, which overturn their notions of the meaning of human life, the existence of the artist and the painting as a fragment of eternity. Through their different points of view and life experience, the fate of the artist Yanaki Manasiev is revealed, poetically woven into the play through the image of the Artist.

The Pleven theatre’s theatrical impression „4 + 1“, with its very premiere in November at the „Art Center - Pleven“ Gallery, launched its newest initiative „THEATRE IN A GALLERY“, an exciting and unexpected dialogue between theatre and visual art.

„The idea of creating the performance came from the „Iliya Beshkov“ Art Gallery in May 2023, where a performance was held dedicated to the work and life of the artist Yanaki Manasiev, shares Dimitar Kabakov, author of the play. The reaction of the audience gave us the courage to continue and create a complete performance. At the performance in May, the curator of the eponymous house-museum, Stefan Ignatov, was also present, and he was deeply moved by this artistic endeavour of ours. With his special permission we also use one of the most famous paintings by Yanaki Manasiev, „Portrait of a Girl“, for the poster of the performance.“

Dimitar Kabakov is a playwright, director, poet, actor and author of dozens of plays. He is the recipient of many prestigious national awards. His plays and libretti have been staged all over Bulgaria by directors such as Prof. Zdravko Mitkov, Vazkresia Viharova, Boryana Sechanova (Arabesk Ballet), Stiliyan Petrov and others. Born in Plovdiv, his theatrical life began as early as the end of the 1980s from the lowest rung in the theatre. While still a student of Bulgarian philology at Sofia University, he worked as a stagehand in a Sofia theatre, where his love of theatre began. He specialised in directing for the dramatic theatre at NATFIZ and, as a director and producer, has realised numerous theatre projects. Until 2022 he was director of the „Lyubomir Kabakchiev“ theatre, Kazanlak. The same year he became director of the "Ivan Radoev" State Drama and Puppet Theatre. 

Director Nadya Pancheva, a graduate in directing for the dramatic theatre in the class of Prof. Plamen Markov at NATFIZ, is one of the young additions to the Pleven theatre and part of the strategy for encouraging young and debuting theatre artists. After her successful performance „Miracle“ by Ivan Radoev (2022) at the "Ivan Radoev" Drama and Puppet Theatre, „4+1“ is her second directorial work on Bulgarian drama at the theatre. She is the director of the productions "Oleanna" by D. Mamet - "Lyubomir Kabakchiev" Theatre, "Reasons to Be Pretty" by N. LaBute - Regional Drama Theatre - Dimitrovgrad (a co-production with I Am Studio), "The Shape of Things" by N. LaBute - Spam Studios, "An Innocent Little Murder" by J. P. Martinez - "Sofia" Theatre, "The Glass Menagerie" by T. Williams at the Musical-Dramatic Theatre in Veliko Tarnovo, "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" by J. P. Shanley - I Am Studio, "I Am My Own Wife" by Doug Wright, Derida Stage. She is the winner of the award for best performance and best director at the "Othello" festival, Gostivar, North Macedonia, for "The Shape of Things" by N. LaBute (a Spam Studios production).